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Jasper Lorann/Backstory
Born to a farming family several miles outside of the village of Klyber, Jasper grew up an only child working in the fields to help support his family. He had a natural affinity for building things, and was a very intelligent boy for his age, mastering the workings of their single old tractor and its interface by the age of 13. By the time he was 16, people from around town were bringing their broken electronics and machinery to him to fix, and though some projects took him months to sort out, he managed to fix every one. He had several friends from around town, but when he turned 17 he met Nate Carridel, a tomboy who lived for adventure. The two became friends, mostly through Nate’s effort; Jasker was content to stay home and tinker, but his new friend often wheedled him into going out on the town or going for joyrides on Nate’s father’s four-wheeler. When they were both 19 Nate suggested going out to scavenge for parts in the badlands a few miles out. Jasper was hesitant at first, but the promise of new things to tinker with was too strong and he agreed to go. Armed with a pistol each, the boys made their way out on the four-wheeler and looted an old abandoned Nascent shack. As they were loading their vehicle, a Behemoth returned to the area, having been out hunting. They escaped it with their lives, but left a lot of loot behind. Over the course of the next two years Jasper went out with Nate more often to scavenge, though they were more careful and Nate bought a shotgun to protect themselves with. They had several close calls after that, but their work was always rewarding. After both boys turned 22, they used what money they had earned to move out of Klyber to the town of Shar’s Bridge and start a small business there, selling refurbished scavenged parts, making custom gadgets, and repairing broken machinery. The business went fairly well, though they did have more competition in this town than they had previously. To keep up, Nate led their scavenger hunts farther and farther from the city to find rarer and more valuable parts to loot. Business picked up as they grew more established, and in the shop’s second year of operation they were able to hire a nascent to help them out, by the name of Kalank (named for the sound a loose plate in her foot makes when she steps with it). She manned the store when neither of the others were around, and specialized in Nascent technology and repairs. When Jasper was a month away from his 26th birthday, he and Nate went on a hunt at a new location Nate said he had found on his last expedition. Unbeknownst to Jasper, this was actually a very dangerous old Sentient facility, where many scavengers had gone but none had returned from, and Nate was hoping to try their luck. The two went inside and started hauling out what they found as they found it, coming across consoles and tech unlike anything they’d ever looted before. Jasper’s amazement and excitement gave way to growing apprehension as the minutes ticked by, wondering why nobody had ever found this stuff yet, ripe for the taking. It wasn’t until they saw a smear of long-dried blood and viscera on a wall that Jasper realized what this was, but by then it was too late. Nate, who was just around the previous corner, gave a startled cry, and fired his shotgun. Jasper doubled back quickly and saw Nate facing down an enormous mechanical creature, long and segmented with myriad metal tentacles sprouting from its body. Nate raised the gun to fire again, but before he could a tentacle knocked it from his grasp and another two impaled him at the same time, punching right through his chest and gut and out his back. Jasper screamed in horror and fury, taking out his sidearm and firing at the thing’s glowing eyes. He managed to get what seemed like a hit in, but the creature was far from downed and it slithered up to him quicker than thought. Jasper dodged, and that saved him as he felt searing white pain bloom from his shoulder and arm as they were wrenched in a way that should break bone. The force of the blow sent him tumbling back, hitting his head on the metal floor, and the last thing he saw before falling unconscious was the creature over him disappearing as another form crashed into it. When Jasper awoke, he was lying on a metal slab, and there was an aching numbness in his shoulder. He turned his head to look at his arm, and instead of skin found smooth, cold metal. The events that had transpired washed over him, and he wept for a long time before falling unconscious. When he came to his senses again, he had a visitor. At first he thought the creature before him was the same one that had killed Nate, but it spoke to him in a low, tinny voice explaining what had happened. The Sentient that had killed his friend was not in its right mind, and this creature had dealt with it and saved Jasper, constructing a new arm for him from this advanced technology. The new Sentient explained some of its functions, which Jasper barely heard in this state, and said it would take a while for him to fully recover his strength. Over the next two weeks, Jasper stayed in the care of this Sentient, and grieved for his best friend. He buried Nate outside the facility in a grave he dug himself, took the bullet casing from the hallway where he had died, and superheated it with his new arm, burning a scar onto his human (left) forearm in memoriam. He took the shotgun as well, polished it, and kept it. He distracted himself by practicing with his new arm, modifying its precepts occasionally and practicing in a room of the facility his caretaker allowed him to use. Jasper got very little sleep, and when he was too exhausted to stay conscious he fell into a restless slumber plagued by nightmares. On the last day of the two or so weeks, the Sentient came to Jasper to inform him that it was time to leave. The creature explained that it had taken good care of Jasper over these weeks, and deserved something in return. The creature described a repository of knowledge hidden in the Vale Thicket, far to the East of where they currently were, that it wanted brought back to its home. Jasper, bound by his sense of honor and glad for the distraction and chance to give his life some purpose again, agreed, though the specifics of the agreement were vague. He packed what he had brought to the place, loaded up the four-wheeler (he felt like Nate’s death should accomplish something) then began the long drive back to Shar’s Bridge. When Jasper returned to the shop, he found a frantic Kalank who told him he was presumed dead or missing. He explained a bit of what happened to her, and she seemed to sense his trauma and didn’t press for details. However, once he was back, Jasper realized that he couldn’t deal with going back to his old life without Nate by his side. Even the shop was painfully quiet without his boisterous banter. The next day, Jasper settled his affairs and outstanding orders from clients, left the shop and the sentient parts to Kalank, telling her that they were hers to do with as she pleased, and packed his essentials to leave town. His excuse was that he had a debt to settle, but in truth he was running, distracting himself from the tragedy he had experienced here, trying to outrun his own loss. Almost a year later he found himself near the Vale Thicket, but the surrounding lands had grown dangerous. He had met a few straggling groups of refugees fleeing the area, who spoke of a terrible menace that consumed villages and cities, leaving behind nothing but alien, red growths. His morbid curiosity getting the better of him, Jasper approached the town of Redhill, unsure if he would be able to help somehow or if he would instead find an early grave, and not quite caring which it turned out to be... Playlist: * 2CELLOS - Highway To Hell feat. Steve Vai - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfGggAGITwg * 2CELLOS - Smells Like Teen Spirit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gvEpa8SyVE * Apocalyptica - Fade to Black - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x97f-_y93a0 * Apocalyptica - The Unforgiven - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zFYxEINsdY * Apocalyptica - Nothing Else Matters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-B8k0n_3cs * Apocalyptica - Hall of the Mountain King - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWEmsUiQELU (possibly a bit too angsty - maybe from the start of his year?) * Chopin - Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65, Mvmt 3: Largo (For sad things, Jasper wouldn’t voluntarily listen to this really) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TECb7NUKg3Q&t=1365s